Winding machine



WINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. l, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Sept. 25,1962 T. E. PlTTs 3,055,604

WINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. l, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fzamffz',

ATTORNEYS Sept 25, 1962 T. E. PlTTs 3,055,604

WINDING MACHINE Filed sept. 1, 1961 s sheets-sheet s ff y INV EN TORATTORNEYS United States Patent Ghhce 3,055,604 Patented Sept. 25, 19623,055,604 ING MACHINE Thomas E. Pitts, Cranston, RJ., assignor toLeesona Corporation, Cranston, R.I., a corporation of MassachusettsFiled Sept. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 135,602 9 Claims. (Cl. 242-356) it iscustomary to wind the yarn from a supply package across or through ayarn servicing assembly which serves to tension, clean and remove undulyenlarged diameter portions or snarls from the yarn as well as tocooperate with mechanism for uniting the ends of the yarn where samebecomes broken for any reason, or where it is desired to interconnectthe free end of yarn from a new supply package to the end of a precedingpackage.

Customarily the yarn, in moving across the yarn servicing assembly,moves through tensioning discs or elements and through one or more slubcatchers and, sometimes, through auxiliary attachments such as waxapplicators. In the event it is necessary to unit the ends of yarn forany reason, due either to breakage or to the bringing of a new supplypackage into position, this is accomplished yby a conventional yarnuniting mechanism generally including a knotter together with a yarnpickup and transfer element which moves in a predetermined path acrossthe yarn servicing assembly and the yarn extending thereover to pick upthe free end of yarn extending from the supply and deliver it into theknotter to there be tied to a free end of yarn extending from thepackage being wound.

It is customary Ito employ a slub catcher or catchers, through which theyarn passes before leaving the yarn servicing assemblage, to detect andarrest the movement onto the wound package of snarls or enlargeddiameter portions orf the yarn. Customarily, there is but a limitedspace provided in the yarn servicing assembly for the positioning ofsuch slub catchers as are employed in existing winding machines.Notwithstanding this, it is desirable in some cases to provide either anadditional slub catcher to those thus positioned or to provide agenerally larger slub catcher not adapted for positioning in the limitedspace heretofore employed. This is particularly true where it is desiredto utilize an electronic type of slub catcher such as is nowcommercially available, this particular type of slub catcher beingcomparatively large in size and particularly having greater dimensionsin the direction of the length of the yarn with which it cooperates. Inthe conventional yarn servicing assembly the only space available lforsuch an additional or extraordinarily large size slub catcher is in aposition immediately following the tensioning elements or discs withreference to the direction of movement of the yarn. Normally suchpositioning would appear impractical due to the fact that the slubcatcher as thus positioned will be disposed in the path of move- Ymentof the aforesaid yarn pickup and transfer element and thus will renderthe latter inoperative.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, the present inventioncontemplates a particularly new and useful arrangement of a slub catchernormally disposed in the path of movement of the yarn pickup andtransfer element but arranged for movement out of said path to anonobstructing retracted position in coordination with the movement ofthe yarn pickup and transfer element.

To this end the slub catcher or that portion thereof -which is inobstructing position with respect to the path 0f movement of the yarnpickup and transfer element is disposed for movement to a retractedposition and, in addition, means are provided for so moving it incoordinated relation with the movement of the pickup and transferelement. In a preferred embodiment, such last-mentioned means comprisesa direct linkage connection between the slub catcher and the saidtransfer element.

A further feature of the invention consists in utilization of the slubcatcher to maintain the free end of the yarn across the` path ofmovement of the pickup and transfer element when the slub catcher is inits retracted position.

With the foregoing concept of the invention in mind, it is obvious thatvarious ways may be devised of practicing the invention and,accordingly, the preferred ernbodiment of the invention illustrated inthe accompanying drawings i-s to be considered as merely illustrative ofthe invention and not as restrictive in any way.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross section through the housing of the yarnservicing assembly and through a fragmentary portion of the controlcasing on which it is mounted, various elements of the invention in thisview being shown in side elevation.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the yarn servicing assembly and itssupporting cover plate; the free end portions of the yarn pickup andtransfer element being fragmentarily illustrated in a position betweenthe extremities of its operative movement.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the yarn servicing assembly coverplate, showing certain of the actuating or driving parts of the variouscomponents.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross section on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the actuating cam means for the slubcatcher in the position which said means has assumed when the slubcatcher has been moved to its retracted position and is dwelling thereinwhile the yarn pickup and transfer element is completing its movementthrough the patch which would otherwise be obstructed by theslubcatcher.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings and referring firstto FIGURE l, the invention is shown as incorporated in ythe yarnservicing assembly of a winding machine of the type disclosed in theGoodhue et al. U.S. Patent 2,764,362, granted September 25, 1956. Inthis, the yarn servicing assembly is housed in and supported by ahousing comprising an upwardly opening pan portion 10 covered by a flatsupporting plate 12 on which are disposed the various yarn servicingelements, these being generally aligned in the direction of movement ofthe yarn Y to sequentially engage and act upon same. It will beunderstood that the yarn extends from a supply package which willnormally be positioned on a suitable indexing mechanism (not shown)supported on the lower end of indexing shaft 11, journaled throughhousing 1t) and located to the left and somewhat below the housing 10and will be unwound from said supply package and drawn across and abovethe plate 12 onto the new package being wound, which will be supportedto the right of the cover plate 12 generally on the main frame of themachine. The said packages are not shown in the instant fragmentarydrawing, Ithough for a better understanding of them, reference is madeto the disclosure of the Goodhue et al. patent earlier identified.

The yarn thus extending across the plate y12 is identified by thereference character Y in FIGURE 2. It will be seen that this yarn isiirst guided through an eyelet 14 constituting part of a guide bar 16iixedly supported on the plate 12 `as shown. From this eyelet the yarnpasses between convention-al tensioning discs 18, 20 and thence inaccordance with the present invention through a slub catcher 22 which,due 'both to its size and its position, will be normally disposed in thepath of operative movement of the yarn transfer and pickup element 24.The slub catcher 22 accordingly is mounted in such manner that it isfree to move out of said path (the latter being designated -by thebroken arcuate line P in FIGURE 2), and to dwell in its retractedposition out of such path until lthe yarn transfer element 24 hascompleted such portion of its operative cycle as might causeinterference between these two parts.

To this end the slub catcher 22 is supported for swinging movement aboutthe axis defined by a vertical shaft 26 freely journaled through abearing 28 in the plate 12 and having its free lower end disposed withinthe interior of the housing 10, 12 whereby movement may be transmittedto the slub catcher in the manner more fully hereinafter disclosed. Theslub catcher 22 itself may be of any usual type, though the particularform of slub catcher illustrated in the accompanying drawing is of acommercially available electronic type in which the capacitance betweenopposed condenser plates is subjected to variation in accordance withvariations in diameter of the yarn passing 'between the plates tothereby actua-te the slub catcher. It will be seen by reference toFIGURE 4, that the free end of the slub catcher 22 has mounted thereon aguide plate 3ft having formed therein a downwardly opening and centeredguide slot 32 for guiding retention of the yarn. Further the said plateis provided with a cammed edge portion 34 which is inclined downwardlyas shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 to guide the yarn into the slot incident tothe actuation of the pickup and transfer element as hereinafterdescribed. A further auxiliary guide 36 having a downwardly slopingguide edge 38 is adjustably supported as by means of screws 41 disposedthrough slots ltherein as shown in FIGURE 1, whereby the yarn may becammed down to a proper level for engagement with the cam surface oredge 34 of the primary cam or `guide 30.

The yarn Y will normally extend through `a downwardly opening slotbeneath and generally along the major longitudinal axis of the slubcatcher, as seen in plan in FIGURE 2, and then, if desired, may movethrough a Waxing attachment comprising essentially a disc of wax 40having a non-circular central opening by means of which it is slidablysupported on a similarly non-circular driven shaft 42 for rotarymovement therewith to bring new areas of the wax constantly inengagement with the yarn, the yarn passing between the undersurface ofthe wax disc and the upper surface of a conventional anvil plate 44.

After emerging from the `waxing attachment, the yarn Y will normallypass over a suction slot 46 Which is coupled by means of theinterconnected conduit sections 4S and 50 shown in FIGURE 1 to the mainvacuum duct 52 of the machine carried beneath the control casing 54 andshown in part only in FIGURE l. This suction slot 46 serves not only toclean the yarn but -to draw in the broken free end of the yarn extendingfrom the source of supply and hold same positioned when the break in theyarn has occurred due to the action of a conventional slub catcher, samebeing but schematically illustrated and being designated by thereference character 56. This slub catcher is positioned in usual mannerto act upon the yarn just before it moves away from the yarn servicingassembly and onto the new package lbeing formed. Such a slub catcher isdisclosed in detail in the Goodhue et al. Patent 2,764,362.

In the event the yarn is broken either by the `action of theconventionally located slub catcher 56 or by the action of the relocatedslub catcher 22 as per the present invention, it will neverthelessextend between the tensioning discs 18, and the last-mentioned slubcatcher 22. Where the yarn is thus broken it will, Iby its loss oftension, permit the usual yarn tension sensing arm 58 to rise slightlyto trigger the action of the conventional yarn i end uniting means whichwill normally include both a conventional knotting device (not shown) aswell as the yarn pickup and transfer element 24, all in the mannerdisclosed in the Goodhue et al. Patent 2,764,362.

'It will be seen by reference to FIGURES l and 2 that the yarn pickupand transfer element 24 is in the `form of a tube having a generallyinverted U-shape, with one leg 4a of the U journaled through a bearing60 supported by the main control casing and with its free end swingablein an arc which, as shown in FIGURE 3, will cause it to intersect andthus have its movement obstructed yby the slub catcher when the latteris in its normal operative position as shown in full lines in FIGURE 3.The arrangement is such, however, that when the slub catcher 22 is movedto its retracted position as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 3, the freeend of the pickup and transfer element 24 may move in unobstructedmanner along the arcuate path P shown in broken lines in FIGURE 3 on itsadvance stroke `across and in very close proximity to the yarn Y, whichat this time will be supported 'between the tension discs and the freeend of the slub catcher as indicated by the broken line Y".

The journaled end 24a of the element or conduit 24 extends completely onthrough its supporting bearing 60 and into communication with the vacuumduct 52 whereby it may, in passing over the yarn Y", draw same into theopen free end. Thereupon, suitable yarn clamping and severing means (notshown) carried at the free end may be actuated in the manner disclosedin the Goodhue et al. patent, following which, on the return stroke ofthe transfer element, the yarn free end from supply will be carried backwith it through substantially or slightly more and laid into the knotteror other end uniting device to be interconnected in usual manner to thefree end extending from the package being wound.

Actuation of the yarn pickup and transfer element 24 to thus move itthrough its operative cycle constitutes no part of the present inventionbut may be substantially as shown and described in the Goodhue et al.patent. However, in order to promote a rapid understanding of thepresent invention, the operation may be very briefly summarized bystating that the desired operative advance and return strokes of the`transfer element are imparted thereto by the oscillating segmentaldrive gear 62 shown fragmentarily in FIGURE l. This gear meshes with aspur gear 64 fixed on a cross Shaft 66, and which imparts rotarymovement to the transfer element through `bevel gearing 68 secured onthe cross shaft 66 and on the journaled end portion 24a of the transferelement respectively.

For imparting the desired retraction and position restoring movements tothe slub catcher 22 in properly coordinated relation to the movement ofthe pickup and transfer element 24, there is provided in the preferredembodiment a direct mechanical interconnection between the respectiveparts. This will be seen to comprise a longitudinally movable actuatingbar 79 pivotally supported at the free ends of relatively parallel linksor cranks '72 and 74, these being respectively swingable about pivotalconnections 76 and 78 to their respective supporting brackets 30 and 32rigid with the plate 12 in each instance. &1ch movement is transmittedto lthe bar 70 through a crank S4 fixed on the pivot or shaft 78 andthereby rigidly interconnected with the link 74 aforementioned. The freeend of this crank 84 is connected by a rigid link 86, shown in FIGURE 1,to a radial drive crank 88 xedly associated with the spur gear 64 andthereby moved in accordance with the oscillation of the spur gear tofirst retract the bar 70 toward the right in FIGURE 1 and then to returnit to its illustrated position in that figure. In the said illustratedposition of the bar in FIGURE 1, the slub catcher will be in its normaloperative position.

The means for translating this generally reciprocating movement of thebar 70 into the desired swinging movement or retraction of the slubcatcher 22 will best ,be understood by reference to FIGURE 3 wherein itwill be seen that a bracket 90 fixed on the bar is provided with a slot92 extending normally to the bar. Slot 92 slidably receives a crank pin94 xed on an Iactuating cam 96 ec- `centrically to the pivotal axis 98of the latter. The cam axis 98 is provided by means of a pin iixedlycarried' by the cover plate 12 and depending from its undersurface. Afollower element 100 is fixed on the depending end of the slub catchershaft and through it is xedly associ-ated with the slub catcher wherebyswinging of the follower will cause a similar swinging or angularmovement of the slub catcher. In the normal `operative position of theslub catcher 22, the cam 96 and follower 100 will be interengaged in themanner indicated in FIGURE 3, wherein it will be seen that both areprovided with interengaging arcuate edges 97 and 102 respectively, bothconcentric to the axis 98 of the cam. The said edge 102 of the followeris urged against its cooperating cam edge 9j7 by means of the spring 104tensioned between the followerand the supporting plate 12. Thus thespring 104 tends to maintain both the follower 100 and the slub catcher22 in the normal operating position of the latter.

However, it will be seen that the follower 100 is provided with ashoulder 106 adapted yfor abutting actuating engagement by a generallycircumferentially presented or radially extending shoulder 108 on thecam, extending outwardly from one end of the smaller diameter cam edge102 thereof to a larger diameter arcuate edge 110. As the follower isswung by interengagement between the said shoulders, the large diameter`arcuate edge portion 112 thereon which is curved on conformity with thecoacting edge `of the cam will be brought into flush engagement withsaid edge 110. 'This action will occur immediately upon initiation ofthe movement of the pickup and transfer arm 24 on its advance stroke tothus immediately move the slub catcher 22 to its retracted position asshown in broken lines in FIGURE 2. The ensuing interengagement betweenthe concentric arcuate surfaces of the cam and follower throughout therest o-f the ladvance stroke 4and throughout the earlier portion of thereturn stroke will cause the slub catcher to dwell in its retractedposition thereby to avoid interference with the movement of the pickupand transfer element. Thus the function of the cam 96 and follower 100is generally similar to that of a usual mutilated geararrangement.

As has been earlier mentioned, during its advance stroke the pickup andtransfer element 24 will engage the free end portion of the yarndesignated by the reference character Y extending between the tensioningdiscs and the free end of the retracted slub catcher 22, and on thereturn stroke will carry this free end back through an arcuate pathshown in part in FIGURE 2 extending for approximately 180 in acounterclockwise direction from the position of the tensioning discs inFIGURE 2. Thus, as the pickup and transfer element 24 nears the end ofits return stroke to lay the free end of the yarn into the knotter, itwill at the same time move the yarn back beneath and into operativerelation with the slub catcher 22 of the instant invention as well aswith the conventionally positioned slub catcher 56. The guide plates 30and 36 earlier described will coact with the yarn to guide it beneaththe free end of the slub catcher of the invention incident to therelative movement between the free end and the yarn. A further yarnguide i114 may be provided to guide the yarn beneath the pivoted end ofthe slub catcher and also into proper operative relationship with thewaxing attachment 40-44. Also to the same end there may be utilized theconventional guide bar 116 such as heretofore employed and substantiallyas shown in the Goodhue et al. Patent 2,764,362.

The improvements of the present invention are also Well adapted to usein a winding machine incorporating an automatic yarn supply packageindexing mechanism such as is disclosed in the pending application ofThomas E.

Pitts et al., Serial No. 30,346, led May 19, 1960, and of commonownership herewith. In accordance with the ldisclosure of this pendingapplication the free end of the yarn Y from a reserve package normallyextends over a portion of the guide bar 16 which is parallel to thesupporting plate 12 and thence is received and held within the suctionnozzle in the manner indicated in connection with the yarn free end Y inFIGURE 2. When the yarn supply package magazine is Aautomaticallyindexed to bring the reserve supply package into operative position toreplace an exhausted supply package, the yarn Y will be automaticallymoved along the horizontal bar portion 16 and into the eye :14 so thatit will extend from said eye to the suction nozzle 118 and will thus `bedisposed in the path of the yarn pickup and transfer element 24. Nozzle118 communicates with suction conduit 48 through a duct 119 supportedbeneath plate 12. Exhaustion of the supply `of yarn and the resultingrelease of the tension sensing arm will trigger the actuation of theyarn y end uniting mechanism, thus causing the yarn pickup and transferelement 24 to move across the path of this new free end of yarn Y andcarry it back into the knotter to be connected to the end of yarnextending from the package being wound while at the same time serving inthe manner earlier described to properly lay the yarn into the slubcatcher as well as into the `other yarn servicing elements as will bereadily apparent.

The actual indexing operation in a device in accordance with theimprovements of the aforesaid pending application is triggeredresponsive to exhaustion of the yarn from between the tension discs 18,20, by the resulting downward movement or displacement of the sensingpin 120 shown in FIGURE 1. This pin operatively engages a cam 122 whichis rotatably connected to the crank or crank arm 72 which also serves tosupport one end of the actuating bar 70. Also connected to the crank arm72 and through it to the cam is a trip arm 124 for initiating theoperative cycle of an automatic clutch 126 which imparts a completedriving cycle to the indexing mechanism. The tripping arm 124,V crankarm 72 and cam 122 are normally movable axially as a unit along thepivot pin or shaft 76 incident to operative engagement of the sensingpin 120 with the cam to thus position the tripping arm 124 for operativeengagement with the clutch to actuate the latter. Thus, although thetripping arm 124 and its crank arm 72 are rocked each time the pickupand transfer element 24 runs through its operative cycle, the clutchtripping arm 124 will be operatively positioned to initiate an operativecycle of the indexing mechanism ,only when the pin 120 is projecteddownwardly into operative engagement with the cam as a result ofexhaustion of the yarn from the supply package.

Operation Y Thus, in the operation of the mechanism herein described,when it becomes necessary to unite the free ends of the yarn arisingeither through Ibreakage or through the replacing of an exhausted yarnsupply package with a fresh package, the end uniting mechanism will beautomatically energized in either event through the intermediary of theyarn tension sensing arm 58 in the same manner as disclosed in theGoodhue et al. Patent 2,764,- 362 and in the pending application, SerialNo. 30,346, to thus pick up the free end of yarn such as either Y or Yand to carry it back into the knotter or other end uniting device aswell as to deliver it in proper manner into the various elements of theyarn servicing assembly, in-

clnding specifically the slub catchers and the waxing attachment. At thesame time the yarn will be guided beneath the guide bar 116 and inproper operative relation over the tension sensing arm 58.

At the inception of the movement of the transfer element 24, theactuating bar 70 will be retracted lengthwise or toward the right inFIGURE 1. The interconnection afforded by the slotted bracket and pin 94between 7 the bar 70 and the cam 96 will immediately swing the camfollower 100 and the slub catcher 22 about the axis of the slub catchershaft 26 to the fully retracted position of the slub catcher in whichits free end will be seen to lie entirely clear of the path of movementof the transfer element 24. lInterengalgement between the cam shoulderor lobe 108 and the follower shoulder 106 will have caused this movementimmediately following the initiation of the advance stroke of thetransfer element 24 toward the slub catcher 22 and will thus immediatelymove the slub catcher out of the path of this element. As soon as theaforesaid shoulders have moved past each other, however, the arcuateuniformly curved cam edge 11) will engage the concentrically andsimilarly curved portion 112 of the follower 100, thus allowing the slubcatcher 22 to dwell in its retracted position throughout the balance ofthe advance stroke and throughout all but the latter portion of thereturn stroke of the transfer element thus at all times avoidinginterference between the pickup and transfer element and the slubcatcher. At the same time the slub catcher, when in its retractedposition, will continue to maintain the free end of the yarn extendedbetween it and the tension discs for operative engagement by thetransfer element in the event the yarn has become parted. The action ofthe pickup and transfer element when disposing the yarn in properoperative relation to the slub catchers and other parts of the assemblyon the completion of its return stroke has been heretofore fullyexplained.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by virtue of the presentinvention it is made possible to apply a slub catcher to an existingtype of yarn servicing assembly in a position heretofore consideredimpossible due to the resulting interference between parts. At the sametime the invention makes possible the utilization of existing driving oractuating elements of the assembly for use in moving the slub catcher toand from its retracted and inoperative position in coordinated relationwith the movement of the yarn pickup and transfer element. Thus, theinstant invention may be readily applied to existing devices with but aminimum of modification or addition of parts to such devices.

In this application there is shown and described only the preferredembodiment of the invention simply by way of illustration of thepreferred mode of carrying out the invention. It will be readilyapparent, however, that the drawings and detailed description herein aremerely illustrative in nature and are not intended by way of limitationof the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for winding yarn from a supply source onto a package,yarn end uniting means including a yarn transfer element movable along apredetermined path, a slub catcher normally positioned in operativeengagement with the yarn and in said predetermined path, meanssupporting the slub catcher for movement between its said normalposition and a retracted position clear of said path, and meansoperative to move said slub catcher to its retracted position to permitmovement of said transfer element along said path.

2. Mechanism for servicing yarn moving in the direction of its lengthcomprising a yarn pickup and transfer element movable in a predeterminedpath to pick up a free end of said yarn and deliver it to apredetermined location, a slub catcher normally positioned in saidpredetermined path in operative engagement with said yarn, meanssupporting said slub catcher for movement between its said normalposition and a retracted position out of said path, and actuating meanscoordinated with the movement of said element for moving said slubcatcher to its retracted position to permit movement of said pick up andtransfer element along said path and for returning it to its normalposition after said element has completed its movement through theposition normally occupied by said slub catcher.

3. The mechanism defined in claim l, wherein said means comprisesmechanism interconnected between and coordinating the movements of saidyarn transfer element and said slub catcher.

4. The mechanism dened in claim 2 in which the said slub catcher isswingable about a predetermined axis to a position wherein it isdisposed out of the path of movement of said element, and includingmeans carried at the free end of said slub catcher for extending theyarn across the said path of the pickup and transfer element.

5. A mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein said actuating meanscomprises a follower fixedly connected `to said slub catcher and cammeans driven from said element and in operative engagement with saidfollower.

6. In a winding machine having a yarn end uniting means including a yarnpickup and transfer element movable in a predetermined path, a slubcatcher carried by said machine for movement into and from said path anddrive means for said slub catcher connected to said element forretracting the slub catcher from said path incident to movementtherethrough of the element.

7. A winding machine as defined in claim 6, in which said transferelement is swingable through a predetermined arcuate path, said slubcatcher also being swingable about a fixed axis to one side of said pathand having a free end normally projecting across said path and swingableto said one side, and means coordinating said swinging movements of thetransfer element and the slub catcher to avoid interferencetherebetween.

8. A winding machine as defined in claim 7, including means at the freeend of said slub catcher for supporting the yarn across said path whenthe slub catcher is swung to said one side of the path.

9. A winding machine as defined in claim 7, in which said fixed axis islocated on the radially inner side of said arcuate path.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,365,701 Higgins Dec. 26, 1944 2,764,362 Goodhue et al. Sept. 25, 1956

